Assad army declares victory in Tal Kalakh

The Assad army, backed by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, declared victory over a second city in the central province of Homs, Al Arabiya television channel reported on Wednesday.

The city was already under the regime control in most of it Activists said. The rebels had agreed with Assad's forces to withdraw in step can protect the civilians live but the agreement was no more than a trick left dozens of people killed , wounded and arrested.

Tal Kalakh, three kilometers from the Lebanese border, has become the second city to fall under the control of the Syrian regime.

Earlier in June, the Syrian regime declared control of the strategic town of Qusayr, close to the border with Lebanon.

Meanwhile, pro-Syrian regime websites circulated video footage of soldiers patrolling the town in armored cars and on foot, Reuters reported.

“Terrorist groups infiltrated and terrorized the local people,” Reuters quoted an army officer as saying in the video.

“In response to the request of the local people, the army entered Tal Kalakh to cleanse the area and restore security.”

In the early stages of the conflict, Tal Kalakh, like Qusayr, was used by the rebels as a transit point to smuggle weapons and fighters.